Can you use olive oil in the air fryer?

This might be the most debated question in air fryer cooking— can you use olive oil or olive oil spray in the air fryer?

This question is popular because of olive oil’s smoke point. Most people believe that since olive oil converts into smoke much quicker than other oils, there is no point in using it in an air fryer.

But I say otherwise. You can use olive oil in your cooking if you know how to use it.

Olive oil is also used for deep frying, so if you can use olive oil to deep fry foods, why not use olive oil in an air fryer?

The internet can be confusing, especially when many people have conflicting viewpoints. But really, can you use olive oil in the air fryer?

YES, you can use olive oil in the air fryer. The most widely used olive oil is Extra Virgin Olive Oil and it has a smoke point of around 407°F making it ideal for cooking in the air fryer.

Different Types of Olive Oil

Now there are a bunch of different kinds of olive oils that you get in the market, but I use Extra Virgin Olive oil for all of my cooking.

But then some people even fry with olive oil, so which olive oil is the best, and what makes it a good choice for frying?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Extra Virgin Olive oil is mainly used in all cooking. It has a smoke point of 375-407°F and you use it on salads, as a topping on pizza, and even for cooking or slight sauteing.

It has a deep golden to almost deep green color, and it is the purest form of olive oil as it is obtained by compressing olives without any heat or other external conditions.

It also has a very olive-like flavor which cannot be found in the other types of olive oil mentioned on the list.

People do not recommend using this for cooking on high heat as it evaporates quickly. However, you can still use it in the air fryer when cooking anything below 400°F.

This oil can also be used for deep frying as deep frying occurs at 330°F-350°F. However, refined olive oil is said to be a better fit for frying.

Virgin Olive Oil- This is another kind of cold-pressed oil with a lighter color than extra virgin olive oil, and it is slightly less flavourful than EVOO.

The smoke point of this olive oil is around 410°F, and if I had the choice between this and extra virgin olive oil, I would say EVOO is healthier.

Extra Light Olive Oil/Refined Olive Oil- Refined olive oil has gone through more processing, and it is a lighter golden color olive oil.

This olive oil is best for frying, but is it as healthy as extra virgin olive oil?

Nah.

It is not. It is refined, and that speaks a lot in itself. However, because of being refined, the smoke point of this oil is around 390-470°F.

Best olive oil to use in the air fryer

Extra Virgin olive oil is something I like to use while cooking anything that doesn’t undergo a lot of heat. If you are cooking something at 400°F, then I recommend using other types of oil like sunflower or avocado.

EVOO is an expensive oil, and it would be best if you use it for recipes under 375°F and nothing above that.

I mix olive oil and sunflower oil for all my recipes. When I know Im cooking something at a higher temperature, I prefer to switch to sunflower oil as it is cheaper and easily accessible.

Sunflower oil is not the healthiest oil, and this is where you might want to switch to Avacado Oil or even

However, there are so many other options besides olive oil that you can use when trying to cook inside your air fryer.

Different Oils you can use while cooking in air fryer

Now, so that you know, you do not always have to stay loyal to olive oil.

You can switch between oils as there are better alternatives to cook in the air fryer.

Some of the oils that you can use are-

1. Avocado Oil – 570°F
I think avocado oil is the best choice when cooking in the air fryer. Avocado oil is rich in nutrients and tops the chart with the highest smoke point. It renders a nice buttery flavor that is barely there with other oils you use for cooking.

2. Ghee(clarified butter) – 485°F.
Ghee is one of my favorite oils, and since I make it at home, I have a lot of it stored in bottles. Ghee has a very distinct taste, so it may not fit all recipes, but most of the recipes taste so much better with ghee. It is thick and buttery similar to butter but with a better flavor profile. And the best part? It is exceptionally good for skin and hair.

3. Coconut Oil – 450°F
This is another great healthy alternative. If you want some coconut flavor in your food, you can give this a try; the coconut flavor is mild and goes well with most recipes. I usually like using it with some chicken and fish recipes with a lot of spices.

4. Grapeseed Oil- 390°F – 420°F
Grapeseed oil is made from the seeds of grapes used in wine-making by the wine industry. Not only is it great for cooking, but it is also one of the best business decisions of winemakers to make the most out of grapes.
It is ideal when cooking at high temperatures and is widely used for frying. It has Vitamin E, healthy fatty acids, and other health benefits.

What is the healthiest oil to use in an air fryer?

The healthiest oil to use in the air fryer is avocado or ghee. You can choose other oils from the abovementioned list, but I prefer the two.

Avacado oil and ghee have a nice flavor, and they cook well, making them my favorite healthy choice of oil for cooking in the air fryer.

But yes, sometimes I get lazy and use my good old sunflower oil, which has a smoke point of 450°F, and it works well with all recipes since the max temperature on my air fryer is 400°F.

Sunflower, peanut, canola, and vegetable oils can be used for air fryer.

Can you use butter instead of oil in air fryer?

No. Butter will burn after 2-3 minutes of cooking in the air fryer. Butter has a low smoke point, so avoiding using it for air fryer cooking would be best.

You can cook butter for a minute or so in the air fryer, but it will burn afterward.

You can use melted butter on your food later for the flavor, or you can mix butter with some high smoke point oil, which will delay the smoke point of the butter itself and help retain flavor.

I apply melted butter later since there is no point in burning the butter on food.

Best oil spray for air fryer

There are so many different oil sprays out there. I recommend buying a spray bottle and filling it with your favorite oil. This is a one-time investment; you can clean and use the bottle again with another oil.

This is the best oil spray for air fryers, in my opinion.

However, if you are looking for ready-to-use spray bottles, the ones from 365 Whole foods and La Tourangelle are my favorites.

Both these brands have 100 percent oil as their ingredients, making them a very authentic version of cooking oil in a spray bottle.

I will soon write another post on the best Oil Spray for Air fryers, listing different oil sprays and explaining which is the best in detail.

But for now, take my word for the two recommendations above; they are the best!

New to AIr frying?

If you are new to air frying, I can understand how overwhelming it is to get started, and that is why I have multiple resources on my blog for beginners who are just starting with air frying.

I do not want anyone to feel alone, so I listed some critical resources to help you cook better with your air fryer.

Can you use aluminum pans in an air fryer?- It is SHOCKING!
How Do I Get the Plastic smell Out of My Air Fryer?
Can you put a paper towel in an air fryer?
Can You Put Metal in an Air Fryer?
Do Air Fryers Use Oil?- YES AND NO! (Read this before…)
Can you put Parchment Paper in Air Fryer-Is it RECOMMENDED?

Go through them, and if you have any more questions, leave them in the comments below—I would be happy to help!